Two men are facing felony charges after officers caught them with guns and drugs Thursday afternoon in north suburban Evanston, according to police.
Officers were called at 4:22 p.m. for reports of two people smoking marijuana in a vehicle in the 2100 block of Dewey Avenue, according to Evanston police. As officers approached the vehicle, 25-year-old Edward D. Carter and 27-year-old James W. Johnson got out and tried to walk away.
The officers “detected a strong odor of cannabis coming from the vehicle” and could see a “rolled cannabis cigar” in the center console ashtray, police said. They also saw the handle and hammer of a handgun sticking out from between the center console and the passenger seat.
They took Carter, who had been sitting in the driver’s seat; and Johnson, who had been in the passenger seat, into custody, police said.
Upon searching the car, police recovered a loaded H&R .22-caliber revolver from between the seats, a loaded Taurus .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun with two extra magazines from under the driver’s seat, and a clear plastic baggie containing 3.3 grams of marijuana.
Carter, who lives in Skokie, was charged with unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, police said. Johnson, who lives in Evanston, was charged with being an armed habitual criminal.
They were both also charged with a misdemeanor count each of unlawful use of a weapon without an FOID card, and possession of a handgun or ammunition without an FOID card, police said.
Bond for Johnson was set at $150,000 Friday and his next court date was scheduled for Aug. 7, according to Cook County sheriff’s office records.
Carter was held on $75,000 bond Friday. He was next scheduled in court Aug. 10.